Food

Monkey King to dominate 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/29
By: Wang Shu-fen and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Dec. 26 (CNA) The main lantern of the 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival will be a 26-meter-tall installation in the shape of the Monkey King, also called Sun Wukong (孫悟空), a main character in the Chinese classic “Journey to the West,” the Tourism Bureau revealed Tuesday.

The Monkey King-shaped lantern will be the tallest main lantern ever in the annual event, which has been hosted by the Tourism Bureau since 1990 to celebrate the traditional Lantern Festival.

The 2016 Taiwan Lantern Festival will be held in the plaza in front of the Taoyuan high-speed railway station from Feb. 22 to March 6.

The Sun Wukong theme was adopted because it will be the Year of the Monkey next year, and the character represents courage and intelligence, according to the Tourism Bureau. [FULL STORY]

Chiayi City Council passes proposal to boycott Ting Hsin foods

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/14
By: Chiang Chun-liang and Elizabeth Hsu

Taipei, Dec. 14 (CNA) Chiayi City Council passed a proposal Monday requiring all schools in

CNA file photo

the southern Taiwan city not to use any food products made by Ting Hsin International Group (頂新國際集團).

The proposal was brought up by two city councilors amid a widespread public outcry over a district court ruling in late November that acquitted former Ting Hsin Oil and Fat Chairman Wei Ying-chung (魏應充) of charges related to violations of the country’s food safety laws.

Wei was indicted in October 2014 after investigators found that his company had imported animal feed-grade material and declared it to customs as fit for human consumption. It was then used to make oil for cooking and making pastry.

The verdict drew a strong response from National Taiwan University (NTU) President Yang Pan-chyr (楊泮池), who announced Dec. 1 that his university will “indefinitely boycott” Ting Hsin food products. He also urged all schools around Taiwan to join the boycott. [FULL STORY]

Food safety 101: tips for homemade cooking oil

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-14
By: Chia Lee, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Recently, food security has become a major issue occupying every

Food safety 101: tips for homemade cooking oil. Taiwan News (2015-12-14 20:06:35)

Taiwanese’s mind. The “gutter oil” scandal, for example, has made people aware of the importance of choosing good cooking oil.

I-Mei Foods CEO Luis Ko, who has been for a long time concerned with this issue, in December published his new book, “All Animals Need Oil & Fat – It Is Difficult to Find Good Oil,” teaching the public how to choose good oil, and to make good oil.

Pros and cons of homemade cooking oil

The awareness of food safety among customers after the food scandal has led many to go as far as making their own cooking oil, such as vegetable oil or lard. [FULL STORY]

Luis Ko advises against hasty amending food laws

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-14
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

The outspoken and food safety-minded entrepreneur I-Mei Foods CEO Luis Ko

Luis Ko advises against hasty amending food laws. Taiwan News

on Monday called on the government not to hastily amend the Act Governing Food Sanitation. Also, Ko expressed opinions on issues including U.S. pork imports, calling for the government to act on food squandering, farm land pollution, and insufficient training and assistance to food suppliers to deal with food safety problems.

Commenting on the government’s amending the food sanitation act 8 times in 8 years, Ko said that even though the act had been amended so many times, serious food safety breaches still happened time after time. The Food and Drug Administration should not be the only institution responsible for current food safety issues, Ko said, adding that many other government agencies and civic organizations should also take part in safeguarding food safety. [FULL STORY]

Foundation calls for citizen participation in Ting Hsin trial

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/09
By: Tsai Pei-chi and Lee Mei-yu

Taipei, Dec. 9 (CNA)Taiwan’s Consumers’ Foundation staged a protest outside the Judicial Yuan Wednesday, advocating people’s participation in a trial involving Ting Hsin International Group (頂新集團), which has been accused of using substandard ingredients in its oil products.

The foundation’s chairman, Lu Yun (陸雲), also called on the public to boycott any adulterated food products originating from Ting Hsin.

At the protest, the Consumers’ Foundation said the Judicial Yuan should revise the process of selecting judges, allow citizen participation in cases like Ting Hsin’s and take greater steps to ensure food safety.

Last month, the Changhua District Court acquitted Ting Hsin of charges related to violations of the country’s food safety law, sparking a widespread outcry in Taiwan. [FULL STORY]

Benzoic acid found in tofus: Taipei health bureau

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-07
By: Ko Lin, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

Taipei City’s Public Health Bureau ordered two items to be removed from shelves after they

Tofus found to contain benzoic acid. Central News Agency

were found to violate food safety regulations, reports said Monday.

Among the 50 samples inspected, the frozen tofus used by popular hotpot chain Chuanjiliu based in Taipei’s Zhongshan district and the pressed tofus made by a market vendor in downtown Jingmei were found to contain benzoic acid, a preservative agent often used by unscrupulous food manufacturers in Taiwan.

Manufacturers are banned from using benzoic acid or sorbic acid in tofu products, as stipulated in the Standards for Specification, Scope, Application and Limitation of Food Additives.

Since October, health authorities have kicked off inspection tours of the city’s hotpot chain stores, supermarkets and traditional markets in an attempt to safeguard consumers amid the worsening toxic-starch food scare. [FULL STORY]

Instant noodles’ sudden popularity show power of a single post

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2015/12/05
By: Bernie Chiu, Chen Cheng-wei and Lilian Wu

Taipei, Dec. 5 (CNA) Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp. (TTL) has been marketing its

TTL assistant technical specialist Sigma.

Hua-Tiau Chiew Chicken Noodles (花雕雞麵) for five years, but it wasn’t until the secret behind their flavor was revealed last month that they became the hottest instant food product in Taiwan.

The noodles suddenly catapulted into the limelight after a netizen named “Sigma” decided during a sleepless night to put up a post about the “fragrant noodles” on Taiwan’s popular bulletin board website, PTT.

Sigma wrote on Nov. 23 that TTL had a large volume of 15-year-old Hua-Tiau Chiew — a wine made from fermented rice — in inventory and wanted to use it, so it supplied the brew to its instant noodle contractor to produce the product.

The post sparked active discussion and after a cyber manhunt, it was discovered that Sigma was actually a young, attractive female TTL assistant technical specialist, triggering tremendous interest and boosting the product’s sales immediately. [FULL STORY]

Food safety protest planned for Dec. 12

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-05
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Supporters of better food safety and critics of the recent lenient treatment of Ting Hsin International by the courts will take to the streets of Taipei on December 12, reports said Saturday.

The event is a result of the November 27 not-guilty verdict by the Changhua District Court for former Ting Hsin Chairman Wei Ying-chung, the tycoon at the heart of an adulterated cooking oil scandal uncovered more than a year ago.

Protest organizer Chang Jen-chi reportedly said he wanted at least 10,000 people to gather in Taipei next Saturday to support a call for tougher action against food violators in general. The recent court verdict has given renewed impetus to a consumer boycott of Ting Hsin products which started last year. [FULL STORY]

Restaurant Review: Burger Ray

Taipei Times
Date: , Dec 05, 2015
By: Han Cheung / Staff Reporter

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I walked into a restaurant featuring a

The Heart Attack Burger features candied pineapple, foie gras and truffles. Photo: Han Cheung, Taipei Times

“Heart Attack Burger” — but my stomach still let out a small cry of pain when a stream of meat grease literally poured out of the sandwich upon first bite.

Burger Ray (個性漢堡) has generated much hype since it opened in the heart of Taipei’s east district in July. As expected, there was a crowd of people waiting for seats in front of the restaurant, though there is a standing table for the less patient. It’s a bit claustrophobic in the front with a cluster of tables, but opens to a more comfortable seating area in the back.

This place is a no-frills burger joint. You order at the counter next to the door off a basic menu that only contains burgers, shakes and drinks. No appetizers, no desserts. There’s a 50-minute eating limit, but with the basic menu and reasonably fast service, I doubt you will need longer than that. And come on, it’s Taiwan. They won’t kick you out. [FULL STORY]

Taoyuan City Council calls for Ting Hsin school ban

Taiwan News
Date: 2015-12-04
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The Taoyuan City Council decided Friday to bar

Taoyuan City Council calls for Ting Hsin school ban. Central News Agency

products from controversial food group Ting Hsin International from its schools.

The announcement came a week after the company’s former chairman, Wei Ying-chung, was unexpectedly found not guilty in an adulterated oil scandal dating back to last year. Just as the original case, the verdict by the Changhua District Court touched off a nationwide furor.

The Taoyuan City Council passed a resolution Friday calling on the city’s education department to keep a close look on breakfasts and lunches provided at schools and to make sure that none of the suppliers used Ting Hsin products. The company produces some major brands of cooking oil, dairy products and fruit juices. [FULL STORY]

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